Electric railway.



s.. 9 m n, .L c 0 d nu t n nv l a DI n. Dn A w o, H u L z 5 2li 5 3 6 nw N ELECTRIC RAILWAY.

(Applicationled Sept. 30, 1891.)

'3 Sheets-Sheet '(No Model.)

m: Nonms Parana co.. PHoTcmma. wunmmu, u4 cA No. 635,252. Patenteil Oct. I7, |899. L. D. HOWARD. ELECTRIC RAILWAY.

(Application led Sept. 80, 1891.) (No Model.) 3 Sh'eets-Shet 2.

ma Norms PETER: co. PHqTQLrrHo.. WASHINGTON. n c

Patented Uct. I7-, |899.

L. D. HOWARD. ELECTRIC RAILWAY.

(Application led Sept. 30, 1891.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 3,

(No Model.)

Nrrn STATES AfrnNr Fries..

ELECTRIC RAILWAY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 635,252, dated October 17, 1899. Application filed September 30: 1891. Serial No. 407,301. (No model.)

To all whom t may con/cern:

Be it known that I, LYMAN D. HOWARD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vehicle-Propulsion Systems, of which the following is a speciiication, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

The present invention relates to improvements in a system for the electric propulsion of cars.

Figure lis a view, partly in plan and partly in section, of an embodiment of my invention. Fig. 2 is` a sectional view of the same. Figs. 3 and 4 are respectively a transverse vertical sectional view and a longitudinal vertical sectional view through one of the pits. Fig. 5 is a top plan view of one of the pits, the top or cover` being removed. Fig. 6 is a detail view. Fig. 7 is a view of the contact mechanism on the car. Fig. 8 is a side view of a modied form of contact-bar. Fig. 9 is a view of the same. Figs. 10, 1l, and l2 are crosssectional views. Fig. 13 is a sectional View on the line of Fig. 5.

In the drawings, A A represent generally a track, such asa steel railway-track, along which it is desired to propel vehicles. At a suitable point a power-house is established, and at intervals along the road-bed I form pits to receive the devices to which the electric current is conveyed from the power-house and from which it is taken to the cars above the surface. The pits B may be of whatever dimensions as to depth and width that are found necessary; but ordinarily they will not be large, and one of the purposes of the present invention is to provide a system whereby the labor and expense incident to constructi ing and maintaining continuous and comparatively deep conduits are avoided. In each pit there is arranged a suitable framework to provide mountings for the moving parts.

D designates a movable contact wheel or roller which is mounted on a shaft D. This shaft is supported by arms or carriers D3, which are mounted upon a shaft or aXial part D4. The wheel D is thus adapted to move vertically, and it may be normally held in an elevated position, as indicated in Fig. 4, by springs or weights, as indicated at d4. The

parts are so arranged that when the Wheel D is in its elevated position it will not be in the electric circuit; but when the said wheel'is depressed by a suitable contact device on a car the electric circuit will be closed and current conveyed through the Wheel D and contact on the car to the motor.

In the embodiment of my invention here illustrated a disk M is mounted on the shaft D', and this disk is adapted to contact with a small wheel N, carried at one end of an arm O. The arm O is connected to one end of ashort rock-shaft o, mounted on a suitable insulated bracket or stand O', and to the opposite end of said rock-shaft is connected an arm O2, which is adapted to contact with a stationary contact Q, arranged at the inner terminal of a branch R of the electric main or supply circuit R.

The contact Q is preferably protected by a hood-like insulator P, of glass or other suitable material, adapted to prevent the access of water to the contact. The main conductor R can be supported in any suitable way, either upon poles or insulating-supports or in conduits S. The latter method is preferred, as by means thereof I provide an entirely underground system of distribution.

The manner of operation of the parts above described will be readily understood. As a car moves over the pits B a contact thereon acts to successively depress the wheels D. As the arms D3 rock about the shaft D4 the disk M contacts with and forces downward the roller N. This moves the free end of the arm O2 upward against the stationary electric terminal Q, and thereby closes the circuit between the main conductor and the motor on the car. From the latter the current may be either returned to the generator through the ground in the common way or may be returned through a contact mechanism substantially similar to that shown and described.

Preferably as many of the parts as possible in each pit are insulated, so that when the current is passing from the conductor R to the motor it shall have as few places as possible for leakage to the ground. It will be seen that when the car is remote from the pit the track-circuit is completely broken at the terminal Q, and as this terminal can be housed and protected practically perfectly IOO the loss of current is reduced to the minimum. The wheel D and disk M are preferably insulated from the shaft D and joined by one or more connecting-bars M at a distance from the main shaft, the purpose being to prevent the water which will necessarily pass down over the wheel D during rainy weather from carrying through the parts DS D4, tbc., any of the current. The water which thus passes down the wheel can be carried away by means of a trough or spout T, arranged below the wheel.

The contact mechanism on the car for taking current from the wheels D may be of several sorts. That which I at present prefer to employ has as its principal part a flexible bar E, so arranged that at the will of the operator it can be pressed down upon the wheels D and in turn move the arm O2 into contact with the terminal Q. This bar can be supported in any suitable way. One way of supporting it is shown in Fig. '7, wherein e e are carriers pivoted to the bar E and also pivoted to nuts e3, which are carried by a shaft or bar E'. The nuts can be prevented from rotating by stops or holders at c, which will permit them to slide longitudinally, and which holders may be secured to the frame of the car. Shaft E is held in bearings e2 and can be rotated from the platform by a hand-wheel and bevel-gearing at E2. The nut-carriers at c3 are oppositely threaded, and when the shaft E is turned in one direction they will be caused to approach and force down the contact-bar E, and when the shaft is turned in the other direction they will be separated and the contact-bar elevated.

It is necessary that the bar E should be flexible laterally to allow for bends or creases in the track and for other purposes. Provision for such iiexibility can be made in any of several ways. I have shown the carriers c as made in two parts c5 e6, united pivotally to each other, and they are held together by a pin or other suitable device. A spring at e7 insures that the parts shall tend to occupy the proper normal positions. The contactbar E can be bent at either end or throughout its entire length without resistance from the carriers. By having a lateral movement it is allowed to yield even when going along a straight track, and the evil results are avoided which would be met were it held against such lateral movement. The same ends can be reached if a bar 0f modified form be used or if it be supported and moved in other ways.

The length of the bar E is a little greater than the distance from one wheel D to the next.

In Figs.S to 12 I have sh'own one of the modified ways of constructing and supporting the contact device carried by the car. In this ease there are several bars E. They are used in connection with a horizontally-arranged plate or bar E3. This latter bar or plate is itself flexible vertically, and as the bars E are comparatively small in cross-section they are also flexible vertically. The bars E are pivotally connected to the plate E3 at E4, and at points intermediate of these connections they are pivoted to levers D5, which are in turn pivoted at D6 to the plate Es and are pivoted at D7 to an operating-bar D8. This bar D8 is connected to one or more levers D, which are pivoted to the ear platform or body and have handles within reach of the operator. Then the lever D" is moved in one direction, the bar D 3 through the levers D5 causes the contact-bars E to swing to l[he right, and when said lever is moved in the opposite direction it causes the bars E to bend to the left at the central part and toward the right at the ends. Preferably the levers D5 are above the plate E3 and the bars E are belovi7 it, the plate E3 being curvilineally slotted, as at D10, to permit the passage of the part which connects the levers to the contactbars. These bars are at di secured to clips or ears, which hold them together and conneet them to the plate E3, and at intermediate points the levers D5 carry clips d8, which bear loosely against the sides of the bars E. The whole of this mechanism may be supported in a way similar to that above described-that is to say, may be suspended from a threaded rod E' by means of links and nuts, which rod can be turned by shafts and gearing at E2, as above set forth, the shafts, gearing, and rod in this ease lifting up or forcing down the vertically-flexible plate E3 as well as the vertically and laterally iiexible rods E. With such a mechanism the operator has it within his power to at any time cause a lateral bending of the contact-bars E in such way that they can properly engage with the wheels I).

The wheels D D are shown as extending slightly above the surface of the road, but not to such a degree as to constitute obstructions of any seriousness. Then they are protected by iron covers J J, preferably concavoconvex and of sufficient horizontal dimensions to reduce the elevation practically to nothing as far as concerns the free movements of wheels of carriages, horses feet, due. This cover may be extended from one track-rail to the other, and thereby be braced and held firmly. At the center there is a small aperture j directly over the wheel D, which aperture may be a mere slot of two or three inches in width. This slot is normally closed by means of an automatically-movable cover or covers of such nature that they will not yield to a pressure downward, but will move sufiiciently to permit the contact-bar of a car to reach the wheel D. One of the ways for arranging and supporting these covers is shown in Figs. 3 and 4:.

K K represent two curved plates under the roof part J. They are separable on a line in the plane of the wheel D, their upper edges lying under the slot j. They are supported They may vibratably around an axis at k.

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have arms connected to a shaft or shafts at or be cast with plates'at the ends. They may be normally held up in any suitable way by springs or weights, the latter being shown at L. Z l are levers supported on fulcrum-pivots l and the short arm of each bearing at Z2 against one of the cover-pieces K. The adjacent edges of the cover-pieces K are chamfered to form a throat to receive the contactbar o f a car. Said bar on entering said throat acts like a wedge to separate the covers K, so that it can throughout its length act freely to contact with the wheel D. As soon as the vehicle and its contact-bar have passed beyond the wheel D the covers are automatically brought back to their closed position by the weights at L.

In respect to many of the features of construction and arrangement of parts herein described it will be seen that there can be modifications without departing from the essential features of the invention.

What I claim isl. In a system for electric propulsion of cars, the combination of the roadway, the series of isolated pits, along said roadway, each pit having a rising-and-falling counterbalanced wheel adapted to contact with a contact on the vehicle, a rising-and-falling contact carried by the said wheel, a vertically-yielding contact mounted in the pit and adapted to engage with that connected with the Wheel, a stationary contact, a hood or casing for the stationary contact, a main conductor extending along the roadway, and a series of branch conductors respectively connecting the main conductor with the said stationary contacts, substantially as set forth.

2. In a system for electric propulsion of cars, the combination of the roadway, the series of isolated pits along the roadway, a yielding contact in each pit, means for supplying said Contact with current from a main conductor, a slotted plate or hood covering the said pit, and a supplemental yielding shield or cover for the slot in the said hood, substantially as set forth.

3. In a system for the electric propulsion of cars, the combination of a roadway, a series of isolated pits along said roadway, each pit having a rising-and-falling contact-wheel adapted to be in contact with a bar on the car, a supplemental contact-wheel rising and falling with the aforesaid wheel, means for counterbalancing the said contact-wheel, a third contactwheel intermittingly connected electrically with the second aforesaid wheel, a contact-bar carried by the last said wheel, a stationary contact in the pit adapted to be impinged upon by the said contact-bar, a hood or cover for the stationary contact, a main conductor extending along the said roadway, and a series of branch conductors respectively connecting the main conductor with the stationary contacts, substantially as set forth.

4. In an electrically-propelled vehicle, the

combination of a iieXible contact-bar, a vertically-yielding support for said bar,and means for moving said bar laterally of said support, substantially as set forth.

5. In a system for the electric propulsion of cars, the combination of a series of pits,a main conductor arranged at one side of said pits, a contact arranged within each pit and adapted to be electrically connected with the lnain conductor, a carhaving a contact-bar adapted to enter a slot formed in the top of each pit and form electrical connection with the aforesaid contacts, and a hood or shield, for each pitcontact, consisting of two sections pivotally mounted within the pit and having ltheir meeting edges'in the plane of the slot and the path of the contact-baron the car, whereby they will be automatically separated by said bar as the car passes, substantially as set forth.

6. In an electrically-propelled vehicle, the combination with a contact bar or arm F, of a shaft mounted in bearings on the car, an in ternally-threaded sleeve fitted on a threaded portion of said shaft, a hanger pivotally connected to said sleeve and to the contact-bar, and means for rotating the shaft, substantially as set forth.

7. In an electrically-propelled combination of a shaft journaled in bearings on the ear, a sleeve fitted on said shaft, and adapted to be moved longitudinally thereof, and a hanger pivotally connected to said sleeve and to the contact-bar, substantially asset forth.

8. In an electrically-propelled vehicle, the combination, of a contact-bar, a shaft mounted in bearings on the car and provided with two series of external threads, internallythreaded sleeves engaging the threaded portions of the shafts, stops on the car for preventing rotation of such sleeves, hangers pivoted to the sleeves and to the contact-bar, and means for rotating the shaft, substantially as set forth.

9. In an electrically-propelled vehicle, the combination of a contact-bar, a shaft mounted on the car, carriers adapted to be moved longitudinally of the shaft, and hangers pivoted to said carriers and connected with the contact-bar to allow it to yield laterally, 17, substantially as set forth.

l0. In a system for the electric propulsion of cars, the combination of a roadway, a main conductor extending along said roadway, a series of stationary contactselectrically connected with said conductor and each arranged in a pit below the roadway, a movable contact arranged adjacent to each stationary contact,risin g-and-fallin g devices arranged within the pit and acting to normally hold said movable contact away from its coacting stationary contact, a cover or shield normally covering the pit and preventing access tothe aforesaid devices, and means on a car for automatically moving said cover and actuating said mechanism within the pit to force the vehicle, the v ICO IIO

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movable contact against its stationary conmounted on a car and adapted to enter the tact, substantially as set forth. pit and contact with the counterbalanced lell. In a system for the elect-ric propulsion ver` therein to move the movable contact 15 of cars, the combination of a main conducagainst the stationary contact, substantially 5 tor, a series of stationary contacts connected as set forth.

with said conductor, a movable contact car- In testimony whereof I afiix my signature ried by a lever fulcrumed on a support adin presence of two witnesses.

jacent to each stationary contact, a counter- T Y A balanced lever adapted to actuate the lever LYMAB D HOWARD' Io carrying the movable contact, a shield nor- \Vitnesses:

mally covering and preventing access to all SAML. R. MOUNTAIN,

of the aforesaid parts, and a contact-arm R. GEO. HUTCHINS. 

